The Setup
by YooHyeSu
Summary: Tyler Laftsidas definitely wasn't a saint in love. She was just a girl with a hard upbringing and it was even worse for her ex. About a year has passed since his death at his own hands and Tyler still feels guilty. The question is, what did she expect when she met Wes? Based on a true story. May contain lemons. Rated T for now!


**A/N: This is based on a true story with some minor/major alterations to fit into the High School Story, story line. The idea for this story occurred when I accidentally made Julian date Autumn, not knowing Wes would be registering at the school too. :( I ended up pairing him with an OC I named Tyler. She's a musician. Moreover, I posted the situation and picture of the two of them on tumblr and the HSSgame Team reblogged it and liked it, so you can see them. If you wanna see the pic, look them up. Right now, in my app, they are currently my first 'Head Over Heels' pairing. I love this app so I finally made a background story for the cutest couple in my opinion. XD Enjoy!**

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**Monologue**

Before you judge me, at least hear me out. My name is Tyler Laftsidas, I'm a junior at Hearst High. I'm a girl named Tyler, yes, a girl. I'm about average height with blonde hair and red streaks. I've got natural blue eyes, but I like to put colored contacts in because they look totally rad. I'm really into rock and pop. I like playing musical instruments, but the guitar is my one true love. However, I have had lots of actual love in my life, but there have been some...problems…

_KSSSSSSHHHHHTTTTT. _

That was the sound I heard when I walked through the halls of my ex-boyfriend's house. I knew what sound that was. I've heard it many times. _He and I…_We had one of those kinds of relationships that became rather _destructive._

James Ebben was my boyfriend a few years ago. He was an outcast, just like me. We had fun, we vented our problems to each other and we dated casually. He lived in different apartments every week that I'd often live in myself. He obtained the money by performing some jobs for the owners of the property. They knew his situation and felt sympathy for him. Sometimes, I'd just use the allowance money I got from my parents to help him pay for rent. They gave me this money to use for food and other accommodations while they were away on business trips which was literally every other day. When they were home, I'd say I was sleeping over at a friend's house. They didn't question it once. James and I started becoming attached to each other at that point. We thought that we'd only have this relationship for fun, but it didn't turn out that way. In about three month's time, things became serious and we were planning on getting intimate, but in a completely different way than most couple would go about things.

_Ksssshht. Kssssst._

We had sort of a different kind of emotional projection than most people. We took turn sliding knives, razors, and scissors along each other's body. With him, I knew we'd be fine; it was a way for us to feel alive. He came from an orphanage, but I came from a family whose parents were so busy that some may have considered it neglect at the time. I loved James, and he loved me. It was scary at first, seeing all the warm blood slide down our arms, legs, abdomen…In a way, sometimes, feeling the loneliness we felt when we were apart made me wish that maybe I'd have enough courage to press down one day. It was like I was a stuffed animal whose seams were about to burst with stuffing. I wanted to cut out all the pain I ever felt. I wanted to get away from this world, but it wasn't my time yet.

One day, James had this foolproof plan that we'd commit a joint suicide. I told him he was nuts, but he wouldn't listen to me. My friends at the time were like us. They had a lot of anger and resentment towards the world, but they knew better than to end it like that. So, I told James his plan was crazy. I wanted nothing to do with it…

_'Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now? Unlike you, I've got my friends to live for!' _ I yelled at him knowing he was on a very short fuse.

'_Our friends! They want to do the same thing, but they can't gather enough courage to do it.'_ He sounded like it was a perfectly normal thing to do, like he was some kind of romantic martyr.

_'If…If you do this…I can't be here to watch. I'm sorry.'_ I pleaded with him on multiple occasions before, but I truly meant it this time. He would always attempt these schemes every so often, I convinced him to stop or at least prolong his whims for the time being, but not this time. _Or so I thought. _Before any real damage could have been witnessed, I left his house in tears praying that he wouldn't go through with the ordeal.

After that day, I didn't see him for months. I thought he had already died or at least made it off with someone else. I did, but it was when he was at his worst. _That's right, I cheated._ I wanted to pursue a healthier relationship, one that didn't involve all that nasty cutting. My mother cried for me for months when she found out what I had been doing to myself and seeing my papa cry only made it worse. For their sake, I went behind James' back and found someone else. However, I still missed James. He was like my best friend. He knew everything about me. My secrets, my hobbies, and my…everything, he knew it all. When my new relationship was going south…when I realized that I wasn't as in love with this new guy as I was with James…it was too late. He too, had a new love in his life and I became jealous.

_'Christopher, it isn't fair! I want him back, but he's already happy with someone else…'_ I told my best mate at the time.

_'I know you miss him, but shouldn't you just be happy for him?'_ He was right, but I didn't want to accept it.

Christopher was my age. He knew me way before James did. We grew up together. It wasn't apparent yet, but he did have feelings for me. On the surface, he'd never show it, but to his pal, Jayce, he'd reveal everything. He was sort of my knight in shining armor, a brother, a friend, and a companion, he'd shoulder any problem I'd have and attack it straight on. _That was the problem…_

_'I see getting over her was easy as long as you have someone tugging at it, huh?' _Christopher instigated him one day while visiting him at his home.

_'It was her choice to leave me first.'_ James explained to him what had happened between us when I left.

_'She still loves you. If you truly loved her, you would have gone after her!'_ Chris had a way of making things hit straight at your psyche. He knew saying that would get James to at least feel terribly guilty, but even I didn't expect what would happen next.

While I had been typing away on my computer trying to figure out what kind of apology I'd write to James without anyone's knowledge, I received a text.

_'Tell your friend to stay the hell away from us, James just slit his wrists.'_

It was from some phone number I didn't know. I assumed it was from James' other friends from before he met me. I wanted to answer it, but I figured writing this to James was more important to me so I let the message sit. For some strange reason as I finished writing, I felt a strange pain in my chest. It felt like something was lost or broken in my heart. I looked to my phone, but ignored it. I hadn't even opened the text until it was over. I heard my doorbell ring and I headed downstairs to see Chris covered in bruises. It was scary to see him in so much pain, but even though his pain was excruciating, he still gave me a hug and whispered in my ear at the door.

_'Did you see it? Check your phone.' _His voice was hoarse from the beating he took.

I didn't bother to respond as I sat him down at my staircase and began to rummage through my kitchen cupboard in search of a first aid kit. He was too badly hurt to move, but he managed to get up and make his way to me. When I turned to face him, he fell against my shoulder causing me to drop a bunch of medication on the ground that I was going to give him. He didn't even bother to say anything as I held my arms out to catch him.

_'Christopher, what's wrong? What's happened?' _I frantically muttered as he reached for my phone in my pocket. _'I don't understand, what are you trying to – '_

He held the message in front of me. I don't know what I was thinking or if I was thinking at all, but I left Christopher in the kitchen and ran to where James was.

'James? Where are you? James!?' I fearfully yelled while running through his apartment. Tears streaked down my face as I could feel cold air in the room and sobbing coming from his room.

_'Christo…'_ As I pushed his door open, I could see Vince, his best friend, holding James with his wrist rippling with blood. There was nothing I could do or say, so I just dropped to my knees beside him calling for him, _'James….James…Please don't do this…Please be okay. Please be alive.'_

I knew it was no use. He was already so cold as I held his hand to my face one last time.

_'Why…Why did you_ _do it? Why'd you have to leave me?'_

I could have said something, but I didn't…I didn't know what to do or say. Even though I knew something was going on, I didn't reach out to him at all. On that quiet September evening, I lost the first love of my life. He took his own life right in front of me…

My best friend at the time, tried to fight my battle for me. I knew for a fact it was my fault. If I hadn't said anything, if I hadn't told him how frustrated I was with how I ended my relationship with my ex, maybe he would've been alive today. I would have preferred having him alive and happy with someone else over this – anything else, but this. I cried for months over my own stupidity. Often I'd have dreams about seeing him, but over a year later it was revealed to me by a friend…

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**Currently**

"So, I heard that he actually made out with Lacey while you two were dating." Jayce says as a way to make me feel better. I hadn't laughed or smiled since then. Jayce just wanted me to feel something.

"Yeah? If I'd known that, he would've probably been alive still? At least that way I could've hated him while he had that stupid smirk on his face.' I chuckle slightly as I put away a picture of him and I when we went to a concert for one of our dates.

"Are you sure you'll be fine transferring to that new school?" Christopher timidly asks me. He's still a bit weary of me since what happened, but I still care for him as a friend.

"Yeah, I'll definitely miss you guys." I smile as Chris ribs Jayce with his elbow for talking about anything James related.

"We'll miss you too, Ty." Jayce says as he gives me one last hug.

"I'll be fine. I promise I'll tell you all about it when I get there, alright?" I high five the both of them as I pick up a few more things from my garage to pack in my car, "I'm going to make sure I keep you guys up to date."

Jayce notices me pick up an old amp and guitar and asks, "Who did those things belong to? They look really worn."

"My grandpa owned the amp. 'Said John Lennon once owned it. The guitar, however…" I place my hand on the back of the bridge where it has an engraving, '_T+J',_ surrounded by a heart. "It's James' old guitar, he left it when he snuck into my house one night during the summer. I meant to return it, but it'll be of no use in the dirt." I frown as Christopher sees me looking at the carving.

"You should go. It'll be dark if you don't leave. We can't risk having you haunt us, now can we?" He says as he ruffles my hair.

"Guess not." I smile as I give them one last farewell and head into my car for a new adventure. _I wonder what Hearst is gonna be like?_ As I turn my key and head to my new school a few cities away, I say goodbye to my old life and my past with James. _Its better this way, I need to let go. _

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**Hours Later In the woodlands**

_Isn't that the same tree I passed half an hour ago? _I look around and see familiar landscapes, but definitely not where I need to be. _Ugh. James, if this is your weird way of getting revenge on me from the afterlife, so not cool. _

Not too much after that thought, my car runs out of gas and I'm stuck near a seemingly old and abandoned trailer. As I get out of my car to check it out, I feel a gust of wind and howling in the forest.

"He-Hello?" I say aloud to scare any predators. As I get closer to the trailer, I feel something crawling up my leg and the wind begins to pick up, causing leaves and debris to scatter around me. I end up sprinting to get to the door of the…_lit up trailer? _I notice a small abundance of lights in one area of the trailer and peek in. _It looks like there's a guy in there. He's fast asleep. _I shiver as I feel a harsh breeze. _Maybe if I knock hard enough I can – _

I hear rustling in the bushes and begin to panic by pounding my fists against the door. _Help! Help! I'm going to die here, aren't I? This was your plan all along wasn't it, James? _I begin to cry as something trudges towards me. _Please…Please…Open up! Don't let me die here! _I huddle into a ball against the door of the trailer. I see a glow of golden eyes approach me. _Is this really the end? _I huddle my legs and bury my face in my arms as the end seems inevitable. Closer and closer, my assailant gets as I feel the end coming. I can barely make out a face as lift my head up for only a moment. _I'm going to be mauled and eaten by a flippin' coyote! _I shut my eyes tightly as I feel like a light it on me. _That's it, I'm done for! _As that last thought escapes me, I feel a warmth come from behind me and light engulfs my closed lids. _I'm dead. I'm so dead. I'm –_ I hear a door open and am lifted off my feet somewhere else when the door is promptly shut.

"Are you okay?" I open my eyes to see a guy behind me.

And this is how I met Wes.

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**A/N: This story will also end up adjoining with my other story, "Happy Together." Feel free to read that when this story is done, or before, it really doesn't matter to me. Anyway, a favorite, follow, or review would be much appreciated!~**


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